TCHS building needs urgent repairs as request for help ignored

TCHS Principal Marc Maurice, accompanied by Coreen T. Grooms and Taiwanda Terry Wilson, both from Team Trenton Members Community Education Advocate in a tour with The Trentonian showing several hole patches, leaks and deteriorated roofs, walls and floors. Trenton Photo/Carlos Avila.

TRENTON — The landmark building on Chambers Street that is home to Trenton Central High School is crumbling as students sit in the classrooms trying to learn. Case in point, just last Tuesday water from heavy rains made it through the roof into the classroom walls and activated a fire alarm.

“The fire alarm does not just go off when there is a fire, but also when it has contact with water” said head custodian Larry Loper.

More then to 2,000 students had to evacuate the building and stand in the rain while firefighters secured the building and turned the alarm off.

“The water came in through the patched-up holes we have on the roof and wet the sensors — and when the sensors are wet they trigger the fire alarm,” said principal Marc Maurice.

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Teachers and students stood out in the heavy rain for close to an hour.

“Whenever the fire alarm goes off we have to call the fire department and then the fire department takes over and determines when we can come back in,” he said.

The sensors triggered by leaky roofs, are the latest evidence of a building that needs urgent repair.

“The situation is atrocious; it’s very, very bad. Looking at the conditions of the roof, the fact that when it rains we have to put buckets everywhere is unbelievable,” said Maurice.

According to school officials and community activists there have been several attempts to get support from the Christie Administration and the Department of Education, but to date those efforts have proven fruitless.

The last time the school officials and community members met with the State was in August.

“We have met several times with the SDA (New Jersey School Development Authority) and the Department of Education. They have told us directly that there is nothing they can do. They went as far as to tell us that Trenton High is not a priority because they have seen worse,” said Tai Wilson an education activist.

“In August they toured the building and they are supposed to reply back with their findings and notify the district of the emergency repairs they can fund. But we have not heard back,” she said.

Calls from The Trentonian to SDA and DOE offices where not returned.

School officials also had a community forum at Trenton High with the New Jersey Senate Education Committee last year, when Senators Donald Norcross and Shirley Turner visited the school. Teachers, parents and children informed them about the dangerous health and safety conditions at the school.

“Sen. Norcross jokingly said if the ceiling fell on a student’s head than maybe we would have a new school,” said Wilson. “The ceiling should not have to fall on a student’s head in order for this to be an urgent matter.”

School officials also complain about being overlooked by the State when funds are available.

Princeton Regional School District received $250,000 for a new art room and we can’t get funds to repair a leaky roof,” said Wilson.

Principal Maurice believes things would be different if another district faced this situation.

“We have cracked floors and mold in the building. In other communities this school would have been closed,” said Maurice.

“We have asked the state for the necessary funds to repair the school, but they have ignored us entirely. Teachers and parents here are coughing all day, they are getting sick,” said Coreen T. Grooms, a parent and community activist.

According to Department of Education guidelines, any repairs costing less than $500,000, must be paid for by the school district.

The Trentonian took a tour of the building and found patched-over holes in the ceilings, leaks and deteriorated walls. One classroom had a garbage can collecting leaks. Officials say that any major repair to the roof or ceilings or reconstruction of pipelines and ducts would be major projects due to the asbestos-heavy material that was used when the building was originally built.

At the main office there is a strong smell of mold, especially in the area where files are stored. When visiting the culinary arts classroom, there are leaks and paint coming off the walls. In the gymnasium, there are buckets everywhere collecting leaks.

“The same material used to build the State House was used to build Trenton High and they were able to fund and fix that without a problem. All we are asking is to have the roof fixed. That will start to solve some problems. (Because of water damage,) we have the floor lifting up, so it looks like skateboard ramps,” said Wilson.

Teachers John Pollock and Monica Morris expressed frustration about the work conditions they must endure. “It is difficult to carry out our lesson plans efficiently,” Pollock said. “We always have problems when it rains, we are doing our part to teach but we can’t use the ovens or stoves because of fire hazards. This is not right, it’s unsafe. It’s not healthy and it does not allow our students to get a quality education,” said Morris.

Since assuming the position, Superintendent Duran has toured every school building and has met with community groups and parents.

“We are aware of the repairs desperately needed at the Trenton High (building) and we are reaching out to the state to address these issues and secure funding,” said Duran.

Earlier in the year, Trenton school officials appealed for $24 million in state funds to repair Trenton High’s leaky roof and crumbling walls.

Duran, who became superintendant in July, said he will meet this week with the School Development Authority for the first time to ask for funding for repairs.

“I will be asking the SDA to designate funding for the urgent repairs necessary now,” he said.

Duran also said that at his meeting with SDA he will not be discussing funding to rebuild an entire new building but rather to repair the roof and the crumbling interior.

“There are fixes needed everywhere, but the most pressing problem is the roof. When it rains we just can’t work,” said Marc Maurice, TCHS principal.